Top Sewing Tips Tooele UT

Fabrics that don't drape need multiple seams or darts to fit them close to the body. When working with a stiff fabric, cut it on the bias so it will drape better. Please feel free to read the following article to find more information on sewing tips.

Top Sewing Tips

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from Sandra Betzina

Delightful Draping

Fabrics that don't drape need multiple seams or darts to fit them close to the body. When working with a stiff fabric, cut it on the bias so it will drape better. Any style that indicates fullness in tucks, gathers or pleated sections requires fabric that drapes. Wool crepe can drape while also holding its shape, so almost any garment style works in this luscious fabric. Rayon and Lycra knits drape beautifully.

Knit Knack

Great knits are often hard to find at local fabric stores. But always shop there first-so you can feel the hand and drape of the fabric and so you can help them stay in business. However, if you can't find great knits locally you may have to resort to mail order. My favorite mail-order source for knits is cjpatterns.com.

How can you tell the right side from the wrong side of a knit? Pull the fabric on a cut crosswise edge and the fabric will roll to the right side. With that being said, use any side you want. Always use the greatest stretch of the knit around the body, which in some cases is on the lengthwise grain.

Wash & Wear

Interesting textures can result in the preshrinking process when the fabric content is a mixture of different fibers. All fibers shrink a different percentage, but polyester doesn't shrink at all. If you're reluctant to commit an entire piece of fabric to an experiment, cut off a 2"x10" crosswise strip of the fabric and throw it in a laundry load using hot water and a hot dryer.

Plump Pillows

To make nice plump pillows, measure for the pillow cover along the seams of the pillow form. Add 1" to both the length and width measurements to allow for 1/2" seam allowances. To prevent the pillow corners from looking too pointy, reduce the seam allowance to 1/4" at the corners. Make a smooth transition by gradually shifting from 1/2" to 1/4" seam allowances beginning 4" from each corner. Take three small stitches diagonally across each corner to give the fabric room to turn.

Fashion-Able

Sometimes a "so-so" top can look great with a bit of shirring at the sides to give it some interest. If the fabric is thin, use 1/4"-wide clear elastic. For heavier fabrics, use 1/4"-wide Stretch Rite elastic. To shirr up 10" of fabric, use a 5" piece of elastic. Divide the area to be shirred in half. Chalk-mark the beginning and ending of the area to be shirred and its center point in the garment seam allowance. Mark the center of the elastic. Align the elastic ends and the marked ends of the garment; stitch across the elastic ends to secure. Stitch the elastic center at the garment center mark. Stretch the elastic between the anchors, and then zigzag the elastic onto the seam allowances.

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